Le Creuset: next is skillet

[Blonde Granny]

Does anyone have any of the Le Creuset pieces of cookware?

I've been looking at the dutch ovens, and the local store has some of 40-50% off clearance. I know they are expensive, but with the clearance price vs buying a new larger slow cooker I think it might be worth the investment.

Does anyone have one or have experience with that brand?

[Peace77]

They are very heavy.  I won't buy it for that reason alone.  Not easy to clean either.

[pepperdoo]

I have a grill pan and a dutch oven. Le Creuset is the most expensive out of all cast iron enamelware. You might want to search Amazon and check out Lodge cast iron enamelware before you commit to the other. Both pieces have never failed me yet.   

[mmhmm]

I've had mine for about 10 years, BG.  As Peace says, it's heavy as lead!  I know the thing has to weigh over 10 pounds.  Still, it's been used a great deal and is still in excellent shape.  It's reliable and durable.  A lot depends on what you want and how often you'll actually use it.

[The Captain]

See for me it's the opposite, I find mine very easy to clean, that enamel coating is wonderful.  They are VERY heavy - one of the reasons I like them, they heat and cook very evenly.  However I do have a big strong man to do most of the lifting for me.
 
I have about 20 pieces.  Most I got at the outlet store (minor flaws) so usually pay about 30% of full retail.  A few we picked up in France (they are not available in the US).

They can take a beating.  We sear a roast in them to get the crusty caramelized outer crust, throw in some chopped veggies and pop it straight into the oven.  Nice even cooking all around.

I know someone who is using one passed down from her grandmother.  It's over 60 years old and still in good shape.

My husband and I both love ours.  My sister loves the one I gave her.  If you were close I'd lend you one of mine so you could try it out, that's how much I love them.

[Blonde Granny]

So far so good with the comments.

next question: if you were only buying one piece, what would it be?  I'm thinking a Dutch oven or maybe the oval one that comes with the lid that is also a grill.  QVC has it on their website.

i will be buying from the outlet store...are they always seconds?

[mmhmm]

No, Blonde Granny.  Sometimes, the stock at outlet stores comes from inventories that didn't sell.  Sometimes, they're discontinued items.  If they're seconds, they should be marked as such.

[justme]

I wouldn't do an oval unless you have a gas stove, and I don't know even if then as I don't know someone with gas to try it out with. My friend got me one, and I like that it's smaller than my big one - but when I put it on a burner it's obvious that the ends aren't as hot as the center. It's not as off as if it was aluminum or stainless since it does hold heat, but I don't like using it on the stove.

FYI - neither of mine are the brand you're looking at, but I would think the shape issue would be a problem with any brand.

[Blonde Granny]

I do have a gas cooktop.  Mine is a GE dual fuel, so the oven is electric & convection.  One of the burners is a high output, and the 4 others go down as small as a simmer.

[The Captain]

The thing with seconds is the flaws are MINOR (such as the exterior enamel having a flaw the size of a pinhead, literally) - I have never had an issue with performance.  And yes, the outlets do sell first quality as well, mmhmm has it right - the seconds will be clearly marked.

As far as size or shape, it depends on what you're going to use it for.  If just you and DH go smaller, if perhaps to feed a family/guests, go bigger.

My two most used pieces are ovals - one is number 27 which is 4.25qt.  The second is number 35 which is 9.5 quart.

I can fit a 2-3 lb roast in the smaller with veggies.  I can fit a roasting chicken with veggies in the larger.

This may help.

cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/content_cast-iron-guide-sizes_10151_-1_20002

[Blonde Granny]

I was looking at this one since it would be like getting 2 pieces.  Is this a reasonable idea?  It is just the two of us, usually a 3 lb roast, but when I make chili I double my recipe.

www.qvc.com/Le-Creuset-7.25qt-Oval-French-Oven-with-Grill-Lid-&-Cookbook.product.K40244.html?refType=IOFFER&refNumber=K299290&sc=K40244-DTLR&cm_sp=UPSELL-_-IOFFER-_-1&relType=IOFFER&refLocation=1

Otherwise, I was thinking of the 5.5 qt dutch oven

www.qvc.com/Le-Creuset-7.25qt-Oval-French-Oven-with-Grill-Lid-&-Cookbook.product.K40244.html?refType=IOFFER&refNumber=K299290&sc=K40244-DTLR&cm_sp=UPSELL-_-IOFFER-_-1&relType=IOFFER&refLocation=1

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I don't know about the Dutch ovens and the roasting pans. 

We have an egg pan in Le Crueset and three other Calphalon pans. It's tricky to assess durability for us because the Le Crueset pan is used probably 300 days per year. It has more dinks in it than the Calphalons, but they are probably used half as much as the egg pan (we eat eggs 95% of the mornings we wake up at home). We've had that egg pan for about a year and a half. Oh, and for the first six months, my husband insisted on putting it in the dishwasher.    So, that didn't help. I now hand wash it 90% of the time. 

[Blonde Granny]

Oh, and my gas cooktop has a middle burner that is for use with a griddle.  The burner is long and narrow.

[thyme4change]

My fry pan is useless.  My dutch oven is one of the most used pieces in my kitchen.

[mmhmm]

It is your fault, Blonde Granny!  I have now seen the doufeu and I have to have one!  Somehow, I will get my revenge! 

doufeu

[Blonde Granny]

Mmm ......that is one of the darndest things I've seen in a long time.

and don't get revenge, just get the pot.

[Blonde Granny]

I was just in a factory store.  Many different styles and colors were up to 50% off.

[Apple]

Ok, no experience with le creuset, but I have a "tall sided skillet" that sounds a lot like the one Pat has, with some differences.

It's blue enameled (with the white specks, like camping gear) cast iron.  It is 10 1/2" and the sides are 3" tall.  I LOVE it.  I use it way more than my cast iron skillet or my dutch oven now (and I use those a LOT--Lodge dutch oven IIRC, Wagner's cast iron skillet). 

What is a "pro" compared to my skillet?  Taller sides mean I push less over the edge.  I do stirfry in it without getting meat or vegetables all over. 

What is a "pro" compared to my dutch oven?  Shorter sides means I can still cook breakfast in it--fried potatoes, eggs, sausage...  the sides aren't so tall that I can't get the spatula/pancake flipper in there.  Also, it has the long handle like a skillet, which I prefer to the wire handle my dutch oven has. 

I use mine for breakfast, to do roasts (if they are too big, I use the dutch oven), baked beans, stews, chili, steaks (hi on the burner to sear each side, then finish in the oven).  I've even baked bread in mine.

I bought it used at a thrift store for $5.  It has no brand stamp, so no clue what the brand is.  But it is awesome.

Since you'll be spending a ton of money on yours if you go le creuset, I'd really look at what type of cooking you do to see what would be most beneficial. 

[marvholly]

I got that stuff back in 1969 when I got married. I still have the rectangular and oval cassaroles w/covers and 2 sizes of au grautin pans in orange. It is VERY heavy & I hate it. Changed over to using Corning visions and pyrex years ago.

Looking for a new home for the pieces I have.

[grits]

Cast iron is hard to beat in cookware but when you have an arthritis attack, you'll curse the weight of the pot.

[happysenior]

I have a Dutch oven, a small sauce pan with lid (the lid doubles as a small fry pan) and a small skillet.  YES, they are heavy but they cook great!  The enamel coating inside makes cleaning easy.  I got mine way back when through the Betty Crocker points program (yup, I've had them for a long time). 

[Blonde Granny]

I'm going to go up to the outlet store and see what they still have on clearance.  I am still somewhat concerned about the weight, but also like the idea of a real Dutch oven rather than a new larger crockpot......what to do, what to do.

[Tiny]

I have a couple of pieces (sauce pan with a small pan for a lid, and a fry pan) an a small  3quart? dutch oven (you could stew a 5 pound chicken in it - no room for veggies)  that I don't use much - they are very heavy and not the right sizes for the actual cooking I do. I think I would have done better with purchasing just a larger dutch oven.   

I often look at the other makes of cast iron enameled cookware - Martha Stewart has a line of iron enameled pots/dutch ovens (macy's/JCP)  that's 1/2 the price of LeCrueset and sometimes even Aldi has their "stockton' brand of iron cookware available.

My only advice is to NOT use metal cooking tools (spoons/spatulas/etc) with the enameled iron cookware.   I've seen plenty of battered/scarred enameled pots (LeCrueset/etc) at estate/garage sales.   I guess it still works ok = but it sure looks bad.

   

[Blonde Granny]

I bought one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a 6.75 qt oval dutch oven and a new knob for the lid.  The knob that came with it was only good to 325 degrees, the one I bought is good to 500 degrees in the oven.  The color is called coral, but I say it's orange.  The size is more than I thought I'd buy, but this gives me the ability to fix a really big roast or a double or triple batch of chili and soup.  On sale and with tax, including the 2nd knob was $192.00

[Tiny]

Nice! I bet you'll get lots of service out of it! That's the size I would like to have... I think I need to find my smaller peices a new home -- so I'll have space to store one bigger dutch oven.

[Blonde Granny]

I've decided I'm going to buy one of the skillets. There were quite a few that were on clearance, so it should be easy to decide. Color makes no difference as my dishes are Fiestaware in 8 different colors as are the couple of baking pieces of FW that I've bought. The "french oven". Size likely 10-11 or 12".

Yea haw....I'm on a roll!!!

[skubikky]

Keep in mind how heavy they are just being empty.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jan 5, 2014 8:12:28 GMT -5 marvholly said:

I got that stuff back in 1969 when I got married. I still have the rectangular and oval cassaroles w/covers and 2 sizes of au grautin pans in orange. It is VERY heavy & I hate it. Changed over to using Corning visions and pyrex years ago.

Looking for a new home for the pieces I have.

It sounds like if you posted pictures here, you'd get some takers! 

[Blonde Granny]

I have a huge drawer full of Corningware French white and a second drawer full of pyrex.  I'm still not sure why I'm holding onto all of it, as I have a 9x13 Fiestaware baker and a 9 inch square baker.  Both are non-stick and compared to Corning or Pyrex are my favorites.

By buying the bigger french oven, I can eliminate 1 small crockpot and a larger electric pot that I always used for soup or chili.  I see this as downsizing and uncluttering.  A few years ago my DH came home with a set of Paula Deen cookware, because he thought we needed new cookware.....like my All Clad wasn't good enough.

[Tiny]

Jan 9, 2014 10:24:43 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I have a huge drawer full of Corningware French white and a second drawer full of pyrex.  I'm still not sure why I'm holding onto all of it, as I have a 9x13 Fiestaware baker and a 9 inch square baker.  Both are non-stick and compared to Corning or Pyrex are my favorites.

By buying the bigger french oven, I can eliminate 1 small crockpot and a larger electric pot that I always used for soup or chili.  I see this as downsizing and uncluttering.  A few years ago my DH came home with a set of Paula Deen cookware, because he thought we needed new cookware.....like my All Clad wasn't good enough.

mmmm pyrex... is it vintage -1940's/1950's?   I love me some old pyrex.  I need a vintage 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup...



My suggestion with the iron skillet is to also get some kind of silcone? or other material handle cover for it... The handle gets RED HOT and there's nothing worse than forgetting this and having a 20 pound grease filled skillet slam into the stove/kitchen floor.     I did this with a smaller 8 inch Lodge skillet... it wasn't pretty, but atleast I didn't get hurt.  Thankfully I didn't chip the enamal on the stove - although I did mar what I was thought was nearly indestructable 70 years old Linoleum flooring. I can't image the disaster that might have been with a bigger heavier skillet.